Money doesn't change character.

Money doesn't change character.

Bad things happen when you

Bad things happen when you 'showboat.'

Nothing good happens past 10 PM

“We always tell our players nothing good happens past 10,” said Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel. “The incidents and problems go way up after the late hours in the evenings. The incidents and problems go way up when alcohol is a part of the scenario and when drugs are a part of the scenario, and perhaps poor company choices are part of it.”

From this book:

Greatness & Excellence

The hallmark of excellence, the test of greatness, is consistency.

Macte Virtute

Macte Virtute (pronounced mock-tay weer-too-tay) means "increase in excellence."

Excellence

"The foundation of excellence lies in self control."



-H. L. Baugher

Focus

"The only thing a player can control at golf is his own game; so concern about what other competitors may or may not be doing is both a useless distraction and a waste of energy."

-Jack Nicklaus

2003 Buckeye seniors on FOCUS:

• Focus is when your mental attention is centered on what you need to do. Nothing else can get into your head.



• Focus is when someone can resist temptation in the present to further pursue a goal in the future.



• Focus means concentrating on your responsibility.



• Focus means total concentration. Committing to something and staying with it until it is done and done right. Never giving up.



• Focus is the ability to concentrate on something by ignoring outside, important forces that can interfere with the task at hand. Taking advantage of all opportunities that facilitate the task and increase the chance of success.



• Focus is disciplined and zeroed in on the goal and only the goal.

A Disciplined Player...

1. Knows the importance of being on time.


2. Has learned the value of regular hours and good training habits from working hard in practice.


3. Has learned that the team comes before himself. This strengthens his character as he is sometimes called upon to sacrifice for others.


4. Has learned to take orders; in taking orders, he learns how to give them.


5. Knows that discipline is the essence of every successful organization; as a member of the team, he understands the need for it.


6. Has learned that many of these things establish a degree of self-discipline.

When no one else is looking...

Discipline is what you do when no one else is looking! It's being considerate of the other person. Having good personal habits--you are polite, on time, and take care of business with pride. We must be disciplined as individuals first, and then as a team.



From this book:

Three Rules of Work

1. Out of clutter, find simplicity.
2. From discord, find harmony.
3. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

Albert Einstein

“Who’s on first” Zen

“I am going to pose a question,” King Milinda said to Venerable Nagasena. “Can you answer?”

Nagasena said, “Please ask your question.”

The king said, “I have already asked.”

Nagasena said, “I have already answered.”

The king said, “What did you answer?”

Nagasena said, “What did you ask?”

The king said, “I asked nothing.”

Nagasena said, “I answered nothing.”

Do things right

It is not enough to get things done; they must be done right.

Arthur T. Hadley

Just do it...

I am only one, but I am one.
I can't do everything, but I can do something,
And what I can do, I ought to do.
And what I ought to do, by the grace of God, I shall do.

-Edward Everett Hale

Recited by the Ohio State Football team prior to taking the field for each game under Coach Jim Tressel.



From this book:

Tressel on Humility

Philippians 2:3-4

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
(esv)



From this book:

Me

I was headed home from church yesterday listening to a sports radio station. A reporter was asking one of the Ohio State defensive players about their performance in Saturday's win against Indiana and I heard the player respond that no one on the defense has the "disease of me". I found it very interesting to hear self-centeredness referred to as a disease. I couldn't agree more.

Be Where You Are

"Paradise is where I am." - Voltaire



If you're in paradise where you are-not wishing you were someplace else-that's the right attitude. If you're always wishing you were someplace else, what you'll discover is that the other place has just as many problems and difficulties-maybe more-as the place you are right now.



It's easy to think that somewhere out there is a perfect place where everyone is always happy, has a bigger house, a nicer car, and a more beautiful or handsome spouse. But that's an illusion. A mirage. If we followed Voltaire, we would see that today, right where we are, is the place God has put us-whether it's a mansion or a studio apartment. And if that's true, there can be no better place, because paradise is where we are. It's that kind of thinking-that kind of attitude-that we try to instill in our players at Ohio State.

From this book: